Corner and edge protector attachment

ABSTRACT

An attachment for protecting a substantially flat article comprising a first portion that includes a body and a plurality of finger-like projections and a second portion that includes a body portion and a plurality of finger-like projections is disclosed. The first and second portions define 90° angle. The attachment is formed from a foamed polymerized material, such as a resilient foamed material. The attachment is cut into the first and second portions. The first portion is placed on one side of the corner of the flat article. The second portion is turned over and the interlocking finger-like projections of the second component are fitted to the interlocking finger-like projections of the first portion. As a variation of the use of the disclosed invention the first and second portions may be cut at their corners to allow the first and second portions to be fitted to an edge of the flat article.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed invention relates generally to an attachment forprotecting the corner of a substantially flat article, such as a mirror,a painting, a frame, flat panel televisions and monitors, or a slab ofconstruction material, such as granite. More particularly, the disclosedinvention is a corner protector attachment for such an article in whichthe attachment comprises a pair of mirror-image portions formed as asingle piece of resilient, foamed material in which each of the portionshas an array of interlocking, finger-like projections extendingtherefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The proper packaging and shipment of articles poses challenges in termsof weight, cost and practicality. These challenges are particularlynoteworthy when flat articles, such as glass, picture frames, table topsand construction materials such as granite sheet, are being moved.

Packaging of these articles typically comprises cut and folded cardboardthat is attached by tape. However, this approach frequently suffers frominadequate protection and further suffers failure due to the materialbecoming damaged or torn during shipment.

Efforts have been made to provide pre-made corner-supporting formscomposed of material such as layered and structured cardboard. These andother examples of the known art represent improvements in packaging.However, known systems suffer from being incapable of universalapplication and thus have limited use.

Accordingly, as in so many areas of technology, there is room in the artof packaging for further improvement through the provision of apackaging system suitable for use on the corner of flat articles whichprovides effective protection by maintaining low manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed invention provides an attachment for protecting asubstantially flat article that comprises a first portion that includesa body and a plurality of finger-like projections and a second portionthat includes a body portion and a plurality of finger-like projections.The first and second portions define 90° angle. The attachment is formedfrom a foamed polymerized material, such as a resilient foamed material.

In use the attachment is cut into the first and second portions. Thefirst portion is placed on one side of the corner of the flat article.The second portion is turned over and the interlocking finger-likeprojections of the second component are fitted to the interlockingfinger-like projections of the first portion. The interlocking of thefinger-like projections of the first portion and the finger-likeprojections of the second portion preferably define an interference fit.

As a variation of the use of the disclosed invention the first andsecond portions may be cut at their corners to allow the first andsecond portions to be fitted to an edge of the flat article.

The above advantages and other advantages and features will be readilyapparent from the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference shouldnow be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in theaccompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of theinvention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the molded attachment according to thedisclosed invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the molded attachment of the disclosedinvention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the molded attachment of the disclosedinvention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing one portion of the molded attachmentof the disclosed invention fitted to the corner of an article to beprotected and the other portion of the molded attachment in spaced-apartrelation therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the two portions of the attachment inposition on the corner of an article to be protected; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of modified versions of the two portionspositioned along an edge of an article to be protected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used torefer to the same components. In the following description, variousoperating parameters and components are described for differentconstructed embodiments. These specific parameters and components areincluded as examples and are not meant to be limiting.

With respect to FIG. 1, a plan view of the molded attachment accordingto the disclosed invention, generally shown as 10, is illustrated. InFIG. 2 the attachment 10 is shown from a side view. A perspective viewof the attachment 10 is shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the attachment 10 includes a firstportion 12 and a second portion 14. The first portion 12 and the secondportion 14 are attached to one another when manufactured and form thesingle, unified attachment 10. The first portion 12 includes a body 16and a plurality of finger-like extensions 18. The second portion 14includes a body 20 and a plurality of finger-like extensions 22.

It is to be understood that the configuration of the attachment 10illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is suggestive and is not intended asbeing limiting. For example, the attachment may have a greater or lessernumber of finger-like projections. The finger-like projections may be ofdifferent dimensions than those illustrated and the spaces between thefinger-like projections may be greater or lesser than those shown. Inaddition, the finger-like projections may have different shapes thanthose shown.

The attachment 10 includes a molded-in, break away notch 24. The notch24 may be of the depth as illustrated or may be of other depths.

The attachment 10 of the disclosed invention may be composed of one ofseveral materials but is preferably composed of a foamed material thatwhen deformed recovers well to its original form. Other importantcharacteristics are that the material must be inexpensive to produce,light weight, durable and easily molded using ordinary moldingtechniques such as injection molding. It is also desirable that theattachment 10 be formed from a material that may be readily cut with asharp knife without deformation. More preferably the attachment 10 iscomposed of any material that provides good protection for the articleto which the attachment 10 is fitted. Preferably the material is aresilient foamed material that is polymer-based. The resilient foamedmaterial may be selected from the group consisting of polystyrene,polyethylene and polyurethane. However, it is to be understood that anymaterial that demonstrates resilience, cushioning and shock-absorbingcharacteristics may be selected for production of the attachment 10.

The attachment 10 may be used to protect the corner of any one of avariety of substantially flat materials articles such as glass, pictureframes, table tops and construction materials such as granite sheet, arebeing moved. In use, the attachment 10 is initially broken or cut intothe first portion 12 and the second portion 14. Thereafter, the firstportion 12 is positioned on the underside of the article A as shown inFIG. 4 such that the finger-like projections 18 are positioned along thesides of the article A. Once the first portion 12 is in its correctposition against the corner of the article A the second portion 14 ispositioned above the first portion 12, also as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Once the second portion 14 is correctly aligned with the first portion12 it is lowered into position against the second portion 14 such thatthe finger-like projections 22 of the second portion 14 interlock withthe finger-like projections 18 of the first portion 12. The compressivenature of the resilient foam from which the first portion 12 and thesecond portion 14 are formed creates an interference fit between thefinger-like projections 18 and the finger-like projections 22 as shownin FIG. 5. In this interlocked configuration the first portion 12 andthe second portion 14 are retained on the corner of the article A andwill stay in that position for transport.

The attachment 10 of the disclosed invention may thus be fitted to thecorner of flat articles having a range of thicknesses including, forexample, those having a thickness of 4″ or more. On the other hand, ifthe article is relatively thin such that the finger-like projections 18or the finger-like projections 22 extend too far once the first portion12 and the second portion 14 are interlocked the excess lengths may becut with a hot knife or blade sharp.

In addition to its use to protect the corner of an article A theattachment 10 of the disclosed invention may be used to protect the edgeof an article as illustrated in FIG. 6. With respect thereto theattachment 10 is cut into its first portion 12 and its second portion 14as set forth above. Thereafter the first portion 12 and the secondportion 14 are each cut at their corner at a 45 degree angle. Thus cutthe cut first portion 12 is placed on the underside of the article A.Once so positioned, the cut second portion 14 is attached to the cutfirst portion 12 so that the finger-like projections 22 of the cutsecond portion 14 interlock with the finger-like projections of the cutfirst portion 12 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In this manner the attachment10 of the disclosed invention has a broad variety of uses.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodimentsof the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognizefrom such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims thatvarious changes, modifications and variations can be made thereinwithout departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the inventionas defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An attachment for protecting a substantially flatarticle comprising: a first portion including a body and a plurality offinger-like projections, said first portion defining a 90° angle; asecond portion including a body and a plurality of finger-likeprojections, said second portion defining a 90° angle, whereby saidfinger-like projections of said first portion can interlock with saidfinger-like projections of said second portion to capture at least aportion of the substantially flat article therebetween.
 2. Theattachment for protecting a substantially flat article of claim 1,wherein said first portion is a mirror configuration of said secondportion.
 3. The attachment for protecting a substantially flat articleof claim 1 wherein said first portion and said second portion are formedas a single piece.
 4. The attachment for protecting a substantially flatarticle of claim 1 wherein said first and second portions are formedform a polymerized material.
 5. The attachment for protecting asubstantially flat article of claim 4 wherein said first and secondportions are formed from a resilient foam selected from the groupconsisting of polystyrene, polyethylene and polyurethane.
 6. Theattachment for protecting a substantially flat article of claim 1wherein said finger-like projections of said first portion form aninterference fit with said finger-like projections of said secondportion when said finger-like projections of said first portion areinterlocked with said finger-like projections of said second portion. 7.An attachment for protecting a substantially flat article comprising: afirst portion including a body and a plurality of finger-likeprojections; a second portion including a body and a plurality offinger-like projections, said second portion being a mirrorconfiguration of the first portion, whereby said finger-like projectionsof said first portion can interlock with said finger-like projections ofsaid second portion to capture at least a portion of the substantiallyflat article therebetween.
 8. The attachment for protecting asubstantially flat article of claim 7 wherein said first portion andsaid second portion are formed as a single piece.
 9. The attachment forprotecting a substantially flat article of claim 7 wherein said firstand second portions define 90° angles.
 10. The attachment for protectinga substantially flat article of claim 7 wherein said first and secondportions are substantially straight.
 11. The attachment for protecting asubstantially flat article of claim 7 wherein said first and secondportions are formed form a polymerized material.
 12. The attachment forprotecting a substantially flat article of claim 11 wherein said firstand second portions are formed from a resilient foam selected from thegroup consisting of polystyrene, polyethylene and polyurethane.
 13. Theattachment for protecting a substantially flat article of claim 7wherein said finger-like projections of said first portion form aninterference fit with said finger-like projections of said secondportion when said finger-like projections of said first portion areinterlocked with said finger-like projections of said second portion.14. A method for protecting a substantially flat article comprising thesteps of: forming an attachment comprising a first portion including abody and a plurality of finger-like projections and a second portionincluding a body and a plurality of finger-like projections, cuttingsaid attachment into said first portion and said second portion; fittingsaid first portion on the article; and attaching said second portion tosaid first portion whereby said finger-like projections of said firstportion interlock with said finger-like projections of said secondportion.
 15. The method for protecting a substantially flat article ofclaim 14 including the step of cutting at least some of said finger-likeprojections.
 16. The method for protecting a substantially flat articleof claim 14 wherein said first portion defines a 90° angle and saidsecond portion defines a 90° angle.
 17. The method for protecting asubstantially flat article of claim 16 including the step of attachingsaid first portion to a corner of the substantially flat articlefollowed by the step of attaching said second portion to said firstportion.
 18. The method for protecting a substantially flat article ofclaim 16 including the steps of: cutting said first portion at itsangle; cutting said second portion at its angle; attaching said firstportion to an edge of the substantially flat article followed by thestep of attaching said second portion to said first portion.
 19. Themethod for protecting a substantially flat article of claim 14 whereinsaid attachment is formed from a resilient foam selected from the groupconsisting of polystyrene, polyethylene and polyurethane.
 20. The methodfor protecting a substantially flat article of claim 14 wherein saidfirst portion is a mirror configuration of said second portion.